"This newspaper abhors anti-Semitism and did not intend to cause offence to Jewish people."

The Sunday Times has issued a "sincere apology" to its readers and the Jewish community across the British Isles after publishing an "anti-Semitic" column by Kevin Myers on Sunday 30 July.

The 1,000-word opinion piece, which appeared in the Irish edition of the News UK-owned outlet, has also been taken off the paper's website following an online backlash.

Myers, in writing about the BBC pay scandal, said: "I notice that two of the best-paid women presenters in the BBC – Claudia Winkleman and Vanessa Feltz, with whose, no doubt, sterling work I am tragically unacquainted – are Jewish. Good for them.

"Jews are not generally noted for their insistence on selling their talent for the lowest possible price, which is the most useful measures there is of inveterate, lose-with-all-hands stupidity. I wonder, who are their agents?"

Martin Ivens, editor of The Sunday Times, said: "The comments in a column by Kevin Myers in today's Irish edition of The Sunday Times were unacceptable and should not have been published. It has been taken down and we sincerely apologise both for the remarks and the error of judgement that led to publication".

Frank Fitzgibbon, editor of The Sunday Times Ireland, added: "On behalf of The Sunday Times I apologise unreservedly for the offence caused by comments in a column written by Kevin Myers and published today in the Ireland edition of The Sunday Times.

"It contained views that have caused considerable distress and upset to a number of people. As the editor of the Ireland edition I take full responsibility for this error of judgment. This newspaper abhors anti-Semitism and did not intend to cause offence to Jewish people".

Gideon Falter, chairman of Campaign Against Antisemitism, welcomed the apology from The Sunday Times, but said Myers should "never have been given an inch of column space in the first place".

"This was an utterly vile column which deployed well-worn antisemitic tropes about Jews...This must be the end of Kevin Myers' notorious journalistic career and News UK must now confirm that they will never again allow him to write for any of their titles," he said.

In 2009, Myers wrote an article for the Belfast Telegraph entitled "There Was No Holocaust", in which he stated his belief that 6 million Jews did not die at the hands of Nazi concentration camps.